Abstract

Sales around roads, a common activity mainly carried out by women in African urban areas, expose these later to outdoor air pollution (OAP), leading to chronic respiratory diseases (CRD). This research aims at studying associated factors with CRD among these professionals. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted among 396 saleswomen working on the outskirts of the main track of Dantokpa’s market in Cotonou. Participants were systematically recruited by convenience, in the proportion of one in two, according to the defined selection criteria and interview. A multivariate analysis was performed by the top-down procedure. The CRDs prevalence was 43.18% for chronic bronchitis (35.18%) and asthma (8.33%). The associated factors with CRD were (Adjusted OR; 95%CI): the low-quality housing (1.92; 1.18-3.13), monthly income above the minimum wage (2.48; 1.51-4.06) and the daily selling time above 9 h (3.66; 2.15-6.22). Three items of the knowledge’s level about OAP were found to be protective factors, namely the recognition by saleswomen of: At least three sources of OAP (0.43; 0.26-0.72), the OAP’s reality (0.25; 0.07-0.85), and their higher exposure (0.06; 0.013-0.31). The risk and protective factors identified will help implementing preventive measures, including consciousness-raising for saleswomen and targeted OAP mitigation efforts.